Amend CSHB 988 (house committee report) by adding the following appropriately numbered SECTION to the bill and renumbering subsequent SECTIONS of the bill accordingly:

SECTION ____.  Subchapter A, Chapter 6, Tax Code, is amended by adding Section 6.155 to read as follows:

Sec. 6.155.  CERTAIN COMMUNICATIONS BY TAXING UNITS PROHIBITED; PENALTY. (a) A member of the governing body, officer, or employee of a taxing unit commits an offense if the person directly or indirectly communicates with the chief appraiser or another employee of the appraisal district in which the taxing unit participates for the purpose of influencing the value at which property in the district is appraised.

(b)  An offense under this section is a state jail felony.